Yew heartwood bows

[Mark Smeltzer]

How many of you guys have made selfbows from Yew and removed all the sapwood?

[Bryce]

All the time.

[Mark Smeltzer]

With no backing and ring violations? I've never tried it

[Bryce]

With no backing and ring violations? I've never tried it

Yep. Yew doesn’t seem to care. Just wants to be a bow.

[Mark Smeltzer]

I'm gonna have to try it then. Not sure why but never really thought to do it that way. I guess I just like the sapwood .
Thank you.

[upstatenybowyer]

I've also seen guys reduce the sapwood to just 1/8" or so without worrying about violations.

[Mark Smeltzer]

That's normally what I do. I've just never taken all the sapwood off before.

[DC]

Why would you want to take off all the sapwood if you don't have to? I can see it if you have a belly split with no sapwood.

[Mark Smeltzer]

DC. That's how i see it too but i had someone ask me to do it for them in a bow build. it never occurred to me to do that with the sapwood because that to me is part of the beauty of a Yew bow.

[Bryce]

If you look at the old timer yew heartwood bow that where #75-#100
Flat backed, rings violated, sharp recurves. Those suckers are still shootable 120 yrs later:)

[Del the cat]

Warning... grumpy post!
"Someone asked me to"
Yeah, there is no shortage of idiots... I wouldn't spoil a good bit Yew (mind to be fair I'm probably working with Yew that others would consider marginal in the first place)
But if you have some with bad sapwood maybe try it.
More than once I've made a customer what he thought he wanted and it failed, whereas If I'd been left to my own devices they'd have ended up with a fine bow  .
During my working life I found that what the customer thinks he wants wants and what he actually needs are two entirely different things.
I no longer make bows for idiots 
Del
(Ok so I'm grumpy  )

[Mark Smeltzer]

Del, I agree with you and was able to talk the individual out of removing the sapwood off of the Yew. I don't necessarily think it's idiotic but more of a .....why even use Yew if you dont like the sapwood. One thing I have refused to do in the past is cut a shelf in a selfbow. I will build up a shelf but I won't cut one into the riser.

[Bryce]

Agreed. If the sapwood is fine just leave it....

[bjrogg]

Funny I normally don't care for grumpy people, but somehow when it's Del it just works.lol.
Bjrogg

[Weylin]

One thing I have refused to do in the past is cut a shelf in a selfbow. I will build up a shelf but I won't cut one into the riser.

Same here. I get the request a lot. Just wont do it.